Nipple connection and valve-opener.



W. S. STAPLEY.

NIPPLE CONNECTION AND VALVE OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13,1906.

W/T/VESSES 6 0 eq 0 {wk PATENTED DEC, 11, 1906.

ATTORNEY UNITED sTArns raTENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. STAPLEY. OF BRIDGEPOR-T, (JONNEU'IICUTIX'ASSIGNOR TO THE 'BRIDGEPORT BRASS COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT,CQNNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION or ooN-NEonou'r;

NIPPLE CONNECTION AND VALVE-OPENER.

j which the following is a specification.

This invention is adapted for use in all tire connections where it is required to inflate tires by means of a pump, and is especially adapted for use in connection with pumps using a ressure-gage; and the invention has for its 0 ject to provide a nipple connection and valve-opener that will open the tirevalve the instant pump-pressure is applied, will permit the tire-valve to remain open after the pump-pressure is relieved, thus permitting t e pressure-gage on the pum to indicate correctly the air-pressure in the tire, and will permit the tire-valve to be closed by means 0 the air-pressure in the tire the instant the connecting-sleeve is turned backward sufficiently to permit a very slight escape of air, the tire-valve closing so quickly, moreover, as not to perceptibly affect the airpressure therein, as indicated by the pressuregage on the pump. It is of course well understood that tire-valves frequently become set in use and will not 0 on when air-pressure is applied, thus causing oss of time in removing t e connection and forcing the valve open, which is sometimes not easy in the absence of a special tool. Moreover, after inflation the instant the pump-pressure is relieved the tire-valve closes, the result being that the pressure-gage on the pum does not accurately indicate the actual'air-pressure in the tire. Valve-openers heretofore used in nipple connections have partially overcome these objections. ever, they have been positive in their action and have held the tire-valve open until the connection was removed from the nipfple. The result has been such a serious loss 0 air as to materially reduce the tire-pressure from that indicated by the pressure-gage on the pump.

My present invention enables me to wholly overcome the objections stated and provide a valve-opener for nipple connections that will permit the tire-valve to be closed by the airpressure in the tire the instant the sleeve of the connection is turned backward suili- Specification of Letters iatent. I

Application filed April 13, 1906. Serial No. 311.487.

So far as I am aware, how- Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

ciently to permit a slight esca e of air and before suiiiclent air has escape to effect a perceptible reduction in the pressure.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel ni ple connection and valve-opener which I wil now describe, referrmg to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification, and usin re erence characters to indicate the severa parts. a

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of my novel valve-o ener and a tire-Iii ple connected as in use, t e tire-valve and t e plunger and spring of my novel connection eingshown in elevation; Fig. 2, a view on an enlarged scale, partly in lon itudinal section and partly in elevation, illustrating a variant form of the invention; Fig. 3, a section of the lunger detached on the line 3 '3 in Fig. 4, an Fig. 4 is an inverted plan viewof the plunger detached. 10 denotes the shank of a nipple connection; 11, the connecting-sleeve; 12, the ni ple; 13, the tire-valve as a whole; 14, t e rim of a wheel; 15, the tire, and 16 the flexible tube which connects the pump (not shown) with the'shank of the connection.

The essential featureof the invention is a plunger 17, having an enlarged head 18. This plunger has an openin 19 through it for the passage of air, The ower end of the opening branches, leaving a face 20 at the lower end of the plunger'which engages the rod 21 of a tire-valve. In Figs. 1, 3, and 4 I have shown the lower end of the plunger as cut away on opposite sides of face '20, as at 38, to insure free passage of air. The special construction of the tire-valve is unimportant so far as the present invention is concerned. All tire-valves of this eneral type are provided with a rod 21, which extends upward to or slightly, above or below the top of the nipple, and the valve proper, which is carried by the rod and indicated by 22, is normally held in engagement with the seat (indicated by 23) by means of a spring 24.

In the form illustrated inFig. 1 thelower end of the shank is provided with a head 25, which is formed integral with the shank and is provided with successively-larger recesses, (indicated, respectively, by 26, 27, and 28.) The head of the plunger lies in recess 27, in

which it moves freely, and may be held-forthread ofthe nipple, as clear ward in said recess by means of a spring 29, whichis socketed in recess 26, the ends of the spring bearin against'the base of recess 26 and against t 6 head of the plunger.

, valvespring, in practice about one-fourth the strength of the valve-spring, so as to insure that when pressure upon the head-of the plunger is relieved thespring of the tire-valve will lift .the plunger against the power of spring 29'and return the valveto itsnormal or closing position.

Ly'ng in recess .28 is a metallic disk 30,

having extending concentrically therefrom a sleeve 31. 32 denotes a packing washer lying under the disk and having a central opening through which the sleeve passes. The plunger passes freely through the disk and the .sleeve, the latter acting to prevent the packingwvasher from being compressed against the plunger. The connecting+sleeve 11 is swiveled on the head and is provided at its lower end with an internal thread 34,

which is adapted to engage the externa y shown in Fi 1. The connecting-sleeve is-provided wit an internal recess-35, which receives the lower end of head 25, and is rotatably secured in place bymeans of a flange 36, which is closed over 'a shoulder 37 on-the head, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Y

In the form illustrated in Fig. 2 the head of the plunger andthe springare socketed in a recess 39'in'a block 40, the plunger itself passing freely through the lower portion of the block. The blockis provided with a sleeve '41, whichpasses through a, packing-washer 32, as in the other form. Block 40 isexternally threaded and is engaged by the members of a two -part connecting-sleeve, -(indicated, respectively, by 42 and 43.) The two parts of the connecting-sleeve are turned onto the block from opposite directions, and block and sleeve rotate together in use. At the lowerend of shank 10 is a head 44, which restsupon the'block, is beveled uponits upper face, and lies within a correspondinglybeveled flange 45-011 part 42 of the connecting-sleeve, a packing-washer 46 being interposed between -the head and the flange, as

clearly shown, in order-to make a perfectly air-tight 'oint when the connecting-sleeve is screwed own upon a nipple.

The operation is as follows: In making the connection the (-onnecting-slecve is screwed down tight upon the nipple, as indicated in Fig. 1, the upper end of the nipple engaging air-tight joint; As the valve spring is stronger than spring 29,.it follows that when the connecting-sleeve is screwed down to place and the upper endof the valve-rod engages faces 20 upon the plunger the latter will be lifted. against'the power of spring 29, a raised position of thehead of the plunger being indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The instant pump-pressure is applied, however, owingto the relatively large area of the head of the plunger, the plunger will be forced forward to its normal position, as shown in full lines, will compress the valvespring, and force the tire-valve away from its seat, as shown in Fig. 1, so that air from the pump will pass freely through the plunger and the valve into the tire. As the air-pres sure upon opposite sides-0f the head of the plunger is balanced, the'plunger'will remain in the open position after the operation of the pump has. been stopped, and a pressuregage on the pump will register with perfect accuracy the air-pressure inthe tire. The instant, however, that the connecting-sleeve is turned backward in disconnecting it from the nipple there will be a sli ht escape of air, which will overcome thebalance of pressure and permit the valve-spring to instantly close the valve in the tire and prevent appreciable escape of air therefrom, this closing of the tire valve being effected so quickly that there is hardly a perceptible reduction of the air-pressure in thetire, so that by the use of my novel connection the operator is enabled to retain in the the the actual-air-pressure indicated by the pressure-gageupon the pump. It should be noted that spring 29 is only provided to hold the plunger at its normal or forward position under all circunr. stances, even should the connection be inverted. The pump-pressure actingon the relatively large area of the head of the I plunger easily overcomes the power of the valve-spring and forces the valve to the open position, even should it become set. As soon, however, as there is a slight relief of the pump-pressure upon the head of the plunger through escape of air when the connectingsleeve is turned backward, thereby destroying the balance of pressure, the tire-spring will close the tire-valve and lift the plunger againstthe power of spring 29.

Having thus described my invention, 1 clai1n comprising a shank, a 7 connecting sleeve swivel'cd thereon, and a plunger having an enlarged head, an air-opening and a face 1 adapted to engage the rod of a tire-valve and move said valve to the open position When p11nip-pressure is applied.

2. A nipple connection and valve-opener comprising a shank, a connecting-sleeve E swiveled thereon, a plunger having an enpacking-washer 32 and making a perfectly} larged head, an air-opening, and a face 1.. A nipple connection and valve-opener Ice adapted to engage the rod of a tire-valve, for prising a shank for the attachment of a flexi- 0 the purpose set forth, and a spring weaker than a tire-valve spring which normally.

holds the plunger forward but yields when the connecting-sleeve is screwed to a nipple and the face engages the rod of a tire-valve so that the plunger will be raised and the valve will not be opened until pump-pressure acts on the head of the plunger.

3. A nipple connection and valve-opener comprising a shank, a connecting-sleeve swiveled thereon, a plunger having an enlarged head, an air-opening and a face adapted to engage the end of a valve-rod and a packing-washer through which the plunger passes and which is engaged by the end of a nipple to make a tight joint.

4. A nipple connection and valve-opener comprising a shank, a connecting-sleeve sWivele-d thereon, a plunger having an enlarged head, an air-opening and a face adapted to engage the end of the valve-rod,

a disk upon which the head of the plunger rests andwhich is provided with a sleeve through which the plunger ex-tends, and a packing-washer through which the sleeve passes.

5. The combination with a nipple and a tire-valve having a rod, of a connection com- A ble tube, a sleeve swiveled thereon and adapted to engage the nipple and a plunger having an enlarged head, an air-opening and l a face adapted to engage the end of the valvel rod so that when pinup-pressure is applied the plunger will force the valve to the open I position.

| 6. The combination With a nipple, a tirel valve having a rod and a spring for retaining the valve in the closed position, of a conneci tion comprisin a shank for the attachment of a flexible tu e, a sleeve swiveled thereon and adapted to engage the nipple, a plunger having an enlarged head, an air-o ening and a face adapted to engage the end 0 the valverod and a spring Weaker than the valvespring which normally holds the plunger forward but yields when the connecting-sleeve is screwed to the nipple and the face enga es the valve-rod, substantially as describedor the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM S. STAPLEY.

Witnesses ANKER S. LYHNE, ARTHUR H. MOORE. 

